Are you getting ready for an upcoming webinar? Are you wondering how to host a webinar that doesn’t suck? Try this 9-step guide to creating engaging content!
Webinars. Everyone wants to put one on. But do they really know how to do so effectively?
One of the best things about hosting a webinar is that they’re incredibly cost-effective. Most people already have all the equipment they need to attend one. If you have a phone or a computer, then you’re good to go!
When you host an in-person seminar, people need to book flights and hotels. They don’t just cost people a lot of money, but they also cost a lot of time.
But there are minuses to webinars too. One of the big downsides to them is there’s a lot that can go wrong. Many webinars are ruined by poor sound quality or a laggy connection.
To help you reap the benefits and combat the disadvantages, we’ve put together 9 steps to help you understand how to host a webinar.
1. Know Your Audience
To host a successful seminar, it’s vital you know who your audience is and what they want. This is just as true for running a webinar.
Think about who’ll be attending. What challenges or problems are they facing? And how can you help them move past them and achieve their goals? Make sure you deliver quality content that’ll resonate with your audience.
If you want to host an informative webinar on a topic, you really need to know your stuff. You could also consider bringing a guest speaker on board. Not only will this help you to deliver a quality webinar, but it’ll also help you get the word out about your event.
2. Make Sure You Know How to Host a Webinar That Works on Mobile
When you’re setting up a webinar, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of forgetting about your mobile users.
A significant number of your audience will be connecting to your webinar using a mobile device. You need to make sure the webinar software you’re using is compatible with mobile operating systems.
You also need to ensure you can easily view any graphics or multimedia on a mobile device. If you use a lot of small text, it’ll be very difficult for people to read on a mobile phone.
3. Decide if It’ll Be a Paid Webinar
Setting up a productive webinar can be very expensive. By hosting a paid webinar, you can easily make your money back.
Be warned though. If you set up a paid webinar, you need to make sure you deliver quality content that’s worth the price of admission.
You also need to make sure your target audience is prepared to pay for something like a webinar.
4. Choose the Right Topic
The most important thing you need to do when you’re setting up your webinar is pick an interesting topic.
People who attend webinars do so because they want to learn more about a subject from someone who’s an expert in the topic. So make sure you’re talking about subjects that are interesting.
But also, make sure you limit yourself to subjects you’re knowledgeable about. If you want to try and figure out a great topic choice, you can try using Google Search Analytics. If a topic is popular on Google, it’s likely a good topic for your webinar.
Try not to have a topic that’s too broad. The best webinar topic is one that focuses on a specific area.
5. Know Your Equipment
When you host a webinar, you need to be knowledgeable about the equipment you’ll be using. You’ll need to broadcast both sound and video, so you need to make sure you have a good quality webcam and microphone.
You also need to make sure these devices work perfectly with your computer. There’s nothing worse than a webinar that’s delayed because the host needs to fix their microphone or camera.
In addition, you should make sure you have a fast and stable internet connection. If you experience lag while hosting a webinar, it’ll result in a sub-standard experience.
6. Get the Sound Right
Sound quality is tough to get right. You need to try and get rid of all sources of background noise. In some cases, background noise is unavoidable.
You can eliminate a lot of unwanted noise by using the right microphone. A condenser mic, for instance, might give you a more desirable sound. But it’ll also pick up all of the background noise in the room.
If there’s going to be any background noise, consider using a dynamic microphone instead of a condenser.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Help
If you’re having trouble setting things up for your webinar, don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone a bit more technically minded.
It might also be a good idea to enlist someone to assist you with planning and scheduling. Webinars are not a simple thing to put together, and you’re asking for trouble if you try to do it all yourself.
8. Do a Rehearsal Run
You should always do a rehearsal run of your webinar before you do it for real. This will help to identify any flaws you haven’t noticed yet.
For instance, it may turn out that the webinar runs too short or long. Or you might discover that your internet connection has lagged.
Doing a rehearsal run is especially important if you’ve chosen to do a paid webinar. People will certainly not be impressed by technical issues if they’ve paid to attend the event.
9. Market Your Webinar
In order to have a successful webinar, you need to market it correctly. The best way to do this depends on the industry you’re in.
You might choose to promote it through social media or through email. You should research this and choose the method that’ll let you reach the biggest possible audience.
Worried about money? Marketing your event doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive.
Need Help With Marketing?
For a lot of webinar hosts, marketing their events is the most challenging task they face. But now that you’ve gotten some tips on how to host a webinar, you’ve got the tools to make it happen!
If you need some more help with your marketing, check out our services page!
